Women advancing in the field of construction

Amongst, many other “masculine” fields, is construction, which traditionally has been an entirely male-dominated profession. However, today, many women are opting to study and take up jobs in construction. Still the percentage of the women involved is too low. Finance and Commerce reports that out of 7.1 million Americans that were employed in construction sector last year, only 2.6 percent were women. Yet, compared to previous years’ figures, there has been a huge improvement.

In spite of being a high paying job that doesn’t require college degrees, most women don’t consider it an option due to gender stereotypes and sexual harassment at work, according to the National Women’s Law Center.

Fatima Goss Graves, Vice president for education and employment at the center, says, “It’s not surprising that the construction trades are sometimes called ‘the industry that time forgot… It’s time for this industry to enter the modern era — to expand apprenticeships and training opportunities for women, hire qualified female workers and enforce a zero-tolerance policy against sexual harassment.”

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Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) is a nonprofit which offers training programs in construction jobs. After the training, the organization provides women with multiyear apprenticeships. The organization has been successful in helping 1000 graduates obtain apprenticeships since 2005.

Holley Thomas is one of the very few role models in the industry, who became the first woman to achieve the top position in welding at the Associated Builders and Contractors’ National Craft Championships. Thomas, who also occasionally talks to high school girls about the profession, told Finance and Commerce , “The biggest issue is getting through to the parents of the kids, the counselors at the schools and making clear that construction is a viable career.”

ORIGINAL SOURCE: Finance and Commerce

http://finance-commerce.com/2014/09/building-ranks-of-women-in-construction/